USS John Rodgers (DD-574)
_underway_off_Charleston,_South_Carolina_(USA),_on_29_April_1943_(19-N-44972).jpg) USS John Rodgers (DD-574) at Charleston, South Carolina, 29 April 1943
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS John Rodgers (DD-574) |
| Namesake | three members of the Rodgers family |
| Builder | Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Texas |
| Laid down | 25 July 1941 |
| Launched | 7 May 1942 |
| Sponsored by | Miss Helen Perry Rodgers |
| Commissioned | 9 February 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 25 May 1946 |
| Stricken | 1 May 1968 |
| Fate | Transferred to Mexico, 19 Aug 1970 |
| History | |
 Mexico | |
| Name | ARM Cuitláhuac (E02) |
| Namesake | Cuitláhuac |
| Acquired | 19 Aug 1970 |
| Decommissioned | 2001 |
| Stricken | 16 July 2001 |
| Fate | Scrapped 2011 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Fletcher-class destroyer |
| Displacement | 2,050 tons |
| Length | 376 ft 6 in (114.7 m) |
| Beam | 39 ft 8 in (12.1 m) |
| Draft | 17 ft 9 in (5.4 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) |
| Range | 6,500 nm at 15 kn (12,000 km at 28 km/h) |
| Complement | 273 |
| Armament |
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USS John Rodgers (DD-574) was a
She was laid up shortly after the end of the war before being sold to the Mexican Navy in 1970, where she served until 2001 as BAM Cuitláhuac, becoming the last of the Fletcher-class destroyers in service.[1] She was scrapped in Mexico in 2010-2011 after efforts failed to return her to the U.S. as a museum ship.
Construction and commissioning
John Rodgers was laid down by
Service history
1943
After shakedown in the
In November as part of a joint
.She then joined the destroyer screen of the Southern Attack Force for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands, protecting transports during the landings on Betio Island on 20 November and remained in the area until Tarawa Atoll was secure.
1944
Late in December, the destroyers sailed to Pearl Harbor to prepare for the next offensive, departing 22 January 1944 for the Marshall Islands. Benefiting from experience gained in previous engagements, the Navy launched a coordinated attack on Kwajalein Atoll on 31 January. John Rodgers provided anti-aircraft and anti-submarine protection, and supported the landing forces with her 5-inch guns. After the end of Japanese resistance on 7 February, she patrolled the Marshall Island area until late March. During April, she acted as escort for ships bringing troops and supplies during the assault of Hollandia.
In May, John Rodgers operated out of
In August, John Rodgers began preparations for the
John Rodgers returned to Hollandia on 2 October to prepare for the
1945
John Rodgers departed the Philippines 30 October for
Following
As the war closed, John Rodgers screened the
Following the
She sailed for home and arrived
The ship was sold as-is to
Post-deactivation
John Rodgers was acquired by Beauchamp Tower Corp., a small non-profit foundation based in Florida, in late 2006 with the stated purpose of returning her to Mobile, Alabama as a museum ship but the plans fell through, and John Rodgers was moored unattended at a granary pier at the Port of Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, accumulating more than $2 million in liens and penalties. The Mexican Government in 2008 announced plans to seize and dispose of her as a derelict,[1] and on 2 August 2010, declared that the ship was abandoned property, ordering her to be scrapped.[3]
The ship was dismantled in the port of Lázaro Cárdenas beginning in September 2010, and work was completed in April 2011.[4]
Awards
John Rodgers received 12 battle stars for her World War II service.[1]
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- Ships History Branch, Naval Historical Center
